Thinking Like A Designer: The One Where I Don't Quit My Day Job

I can't believe it's been nearly a month since I started the Fashion Industry Essentials course. The weeks are just flying by! Today I start topic three which is all about fashion production and leads on nicely from the work I have just done around fashion design and getting into that designer mindset...

Now I will be honest, this is the topic that daunted me the most and is the one I was not sure I'd get along with. I love fashion but designing items just isn't for me. For one; I cannot sketch to save my life. I prefer to admire fashion from a safe, non-sewing machine and fabric filled distance. In saying that, this module really has given me a much greater appreciation for all the work and craftsmanship that goes into design and fashion collections. One point that really stood out to me was that while ready-to-wear collections are extremely important, designers often generate the most profit from their accessories that sit alongside collections or their wider brand. So while it's important to think about collections, it's also key to make sure your accessory lines are just as strong.

The assignments for this topic were much more creative and for those who want to get into fashion design I think they will have been really beneficial. That isn't to say I haven't found the assignments in this part of the course helpful, I did enjoy getting my creative hat on. I was just a bit intimidated by them because I know that my drawing abilities are lackluster but hey, we cannot all be good at everything right?

Each topic in the Fashion Industry course has a careers section where we get to hear from designers, people at Parsons and Teen Vogue sharing their insights into how they got to where they are. Unsurprisingly, the Teen Vogue staff are my favourite to listen to but they all have really useful advice for everyone looking to break in to the fashion industry. Maybe without stealing the goods from the beauty closet though.... We got to check out their LinkedIn profiles and then explore job listings to start thinking about what credentials we'd need among other things. It's also a way for us to connect with our classmates too. Speaking of, if you want to read more about this course, head on over to Louise's blog. She's also doing write-ups for Teen Vogue about the experience too.

*As always, if you have any questions about this course, feel free to ask them. I've had a couple of emails from people and some questions on my last post as well.